Books

What Reviewers Are Saying About A Heartbeat Away

In Maureen Smith’s A HEARTBEAT AWAY, readers are graced with an intriguing story surrounding the undercover world of government intelligence and surveillance.

DEA Diversion Investigator Samille Broussard’s expertise is needed to solve a case involving ten students from the very prestigious Saint Anthony’s Preparatory School. It seems that someone has intentionally poisoned them. Since the investigation was passed on to the FBI, Samille has to work with the breathtakingly and undeniably handsome FBI agent Brant Kincaid. She first laid eyes on Brant six months ago, when she almost tripped—from looking so hard—while running as she was training at the DEA academy. Since that day, she has not been able to forget him or his body. Brant also remembers Samille because he couldn’t take his eyes off her. The only thing that kept her from knowing he was looking were the dark shades covering his eyes. They hide their feelings for one another to keep from mixing business with pleasure.

Samille realizes she has bitten off a little more than she can chew when the case takes a turn for the worst; one of their main suspects is found dead. Now Samille and Brant have a murder investigation on their hands as well as finding out who poisoned the students. When Samille goes undercover to flush out their suspect, she makes a terrible mistake and finds her life is on the line. Brant, on the other hand, is caught between a rock and hard place because he feels responsible for Samille and if anything happens to her, he’ll regret it for the rest of his life.

Maureen Smith has penned a very gripping tale. The storyline with romance, espionage, mayhem and suspense, all rolled into one, is without a doubt one of the best I’ve read this year. The characters were memorable and the back and forth antics of Samille and Brant kept me glued to the pages wondering what would happen when they eventually stopped their bickering and realized they were in love. I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend you read A HEARTBEAT AWAY.

—4.5 stars
Pamela Bolden
The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

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In D.C., nine teens attending a party fall into comas. Though the Capitol police and the FBI investigate what happened, DEA becomes involved when the bodies of each one contains a substance similar to Ecstasy. With her pharmaceutical background DEA assigns Samille Broussard to work with the FBI on the case.

FBI Agent Brant Kincaid does not believe the rookie Samille is ready to tackle such a dangerous case as she has been out of the academy only six months. She on the other hand is elated to work with the professional who she believes can teach her so much about field work, but also has dreamed of leisure activities since they first met at the FBI Academy. Brant quickly admits that Samille seems to have a way with the students and more so with him as they make inquiries into what happened. However, neither is aware of the danger from someone who plans to make a fortune with the newest designer drug on the street.

A HEARTBEAT AWAY is a terrific romantic suspense thriller that showcases two wonderful federal law enforcement heroes. The story line is action-packed, but does not neglect the growing attraction between the lead couple; in fact the hard nosed hero is so distracted by his feisty intelligent partner he almost blows the case. Though a final twist seems unnecessary and subtracts from a great thriller, fans will enjoy this look into the illegal world of designer drugs, a classic supply and demand case of the market at work.

—5 stars
Harriet Klausner

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Have you ever fallen in love, tried to prove yourself to others, and feared for your life all in the matter of weeks? Well, one DEA Diversion Investigator Samille Broussard has been doing just that. It all begins when ten students at a prestigious high school fall into a coma after taking a mysterious drug. Samille finds herself working side by side with one sexy man, FBI Agent Brant Kincaid. While this isn’t the first time that she has seen him, her heart still beats double time when she learns that she will have the opportunity to work with him on solving this high profile case. What she didn’t bank on was falling in love with him in a matter of a couple of days. Samille knows that her concentration should be solely on the case, especially since Brant doesn’t want her help, but her emotions get the best of her and she struggles to win them both.

Brant Kincaid is an over-achiever, focused always on his career and family, and not allowing time for true love. When he finds out that he has been assigned to work with the DEA and local officials on his latest case he isn’t happy. His feelings sink more when he finds out that the DEA agent that he will be working with is Samille Broussard. His macho personality tells him that she will only slow him down, but his libido tells him that he hopes to get a chance to see what she’s all about outside of the job. While their personalities clash on the outside, each of them shares a passion that is so hot, that it would take more than water to cool them off. And, little does Samille know but, Brant remembers exactly the first time he saw her and nothing has changed his first impression of her.

The two begin their search for the drug dealer at the high school that the kids attended. This leads them into a world of colorful characters in the political and drug arena. There is also a murder that adds to the mystery. As things heat up from the case, so do the feelings between Brant and Samille. Unable to deny the feelings that they share for each other, they find out that the heat between them is more than either of them could have ever dreamed of. But, the progress of the case and things from their past almost destroy what turns out to be the best thing that could happen for both of them.

As you turn each page, you begin to feel that you’re only a heartbeat away from Samille and Brant making love and solving the case. Ms. Smith gives you just enough of each situation to keep you guessing and hoping that these two will get together and find the perpetrators responsible for the drug distribution and the murder. The other characters in the story help to round out and solidify the relationship of the hero and heroine. The story is easy to follow and I loved the sexual tension and the element of surprise in the case. This is one of the best romantic suspense stories I’ve read in a long time.

—4 plugs
Lora McDonald
The Romance Readers Connection